Bad Bear

- By Brandon Wikman

My weekend in the north woods of Minnesota served up a long drive, an endless headache and an experience I won’t forget soon enough.   

Every trip I’ve ever made always has a significantly different beginning, middle, and end. One must wonder how each hunt starts, but we all know how we desire it to end. My black bear hunt in the northwestern part of Minnesota barely even felt like it started. Quite frankly, in my opinion, it really didn’t.

I left Alma, WI, at a spry 4am on Friday morning. My hope was to arrive at a small town called Ada, MN, which was near the supposed bear hunting grounds. As planned, I woke up early, finished some last minute packing, and dialed-in my GPS to the destination of choice. Little did I know what soon would come upon my arrival.

I met the person who set the trip up at a small gas station in Ada, MN. He spoke softly with a hint of insecurity. He said that the plan of attack had slightly changed. To me, those words are absolutely devastating to hear. Trust me, I’ve watched many disasters in the making. Our accommodations were altered from one town to the next. It wasn’t a big deal, until the next turn of events within the hour.

As we unpacked and settled into our makeshift living quarters, the man of the hour spread a heap of more sour news upon my soggy bread. He said that he couldn’t get in touch with the guide. Now, as you may realize, bear hunters must have a big bait pile full of chocolates, waffle cones, honey, and more tasty treats. This is what brings bear in to fill their appetite. Our guide was supposed to be doing just that, checking trail cameras, and honing-in on our best perch for bear. Needless to say, he never showed.

Now, at this point in time, there was a lot going through my head. I just literally tossed a couple hundred dollars away for a bear tag. The gas money to the place ignited a spark that had already been burning my pocketbook. My crew and I were left with a giant mound of confusion.

As any hardcore hunter would, my crew and I still ventured into the woods. We didn’t expect to see much considering the majority of bears have been attracted to a specific area that has a daily bait that’s refreshed. And as you can most definitely figure, we didn’t see a thing. We stayed two nights until we absolutely couldn’t stand it any longer.

Let this week’s blog be another learning curve. You must put all of your faith and trust into your guide. This time, I didn’t. I let someone else’s voice speak for mine and set up a hunt that should have never been booked. I left MN with a nasty taste in my mouth and a very unforgettable experience that I’ll be able to laugh at in a couple more years.

Comments

[J.P.]

Not sure if it will make you feel better, but I spent about $1000 for a guided week long hunt. We were 1 for 7, we hunted hard for 5 nights and saw very little. These were even on baited sites, the bears were cleaning them out after dark. Bears are smart which is why I'm addicted to hunt them. I saw a couple cubs and a few others saw bear, but only one had an opportunity to shoot; he made the most of it. Still I enjoyed being in the woods and viewing all the other wildlife that made an appearance.